Lift strap and exerciser for recumbent persons



July 22, 1958 r B. BJORKLUND 2,343,353

LIFT STRAP AND EXERCISER FOR RECUMBENTIPERSONS" Filed March 29, 1954 INVENTOR y/ Z 2157. 5 Ber/770 B brk/ana United States Patent LEFT STRAP AND EXERCISER FOR RECUMBENT PERSONS Berma Ejorklund, Spokane, Wash.

Application March 29, 1954, Serial No. 419,132

8 Claims. (Cl. 317) This invention relates to a device for aiding recumbent persons.

One object of the invention is to provide a device for attachment to the foot of a bed which can be used by a recumbent person to raise himself to a sitting position.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a device for attachment to the foot of a bed which will enable a recumbent person to exercise his arms and upper torso.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind having securing means releasably fastened at its free end and adapted to secure the device against accidental removal from within the reach of the recumbent person.

With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of the invention is shown accompanied by modifications and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts;

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective view of a bed having my improved lift strap and exerciser associated therewith;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal elevation partially in cross section of the device disclosed in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view partially in plan and partially in cross section disclosing one rung and its means of securlFigure 4 is a fragmentary perspective of a modified lift strap; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of a still further modified lift strap.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings a conventional bed is indicated in general by the numeral and is provided with the usual foot 11 and has the conventional spring and mattress indicated by the numeral 12 supported on bed rails 13 extending between the foot 11 and the head (not shown). In many cases invalids having lost the use of their body below the waist find it very difficult if not impossible to raise themselves in a bed to a sitting position and in other cases this eifort without assistance results in considerable pain to the patient.

The lift strap indicated in its entirety by the numeral 14 has been found to be very effective in assisting to raise themselves to a sitting position as well as to assist themselves in changing positions in the bed and also provides means for exercising those parts of the body which are well in the case of an invalid.

Inspection of Figure 1 will show that the lift strap is provided with a pair of laterally spaced strap elements 15-15 which are provided with laterally extending longitudinally spaced parallel rungs 16--16 having their ends anchored in the strap elements and extending therebe- 2,843,858- Patented July 22, 1958 tween. At the forward or inner end one strap element 15 extends through a securing buckle 17 and at its free end encircles the intermediate transverse bar 18 of a strap buckle 19 and is stitched upon itself at 20 thus securing the buckle 19. The other strap element 15 extends through the securing buckle 17 and beyond the buckle 19 where it constitutes an integral securing strap 15 and encircles an element or rod 21 of the foot of the bed 11 and thence is adjustably and releasably secured in the buckle 19 providing for longitudinal adjustment of the length of the lift strap 14. The securing buckle 17 is provided to eliminate angular movements of the rungs 16 by relative opposed movements of the strap elements 15. The free end portion of the lift strap including the strap elements 15 and the rungs 16 form a hand ladder by means of which an invalid may raise himself to the sitting position by successively grasping the rungs 16 hand over hand and drawing himself up.

When a patient is sleeping normal movements of the hands and body may cause the lift strap 14 to fall from the side of the bed 10 or be moved downwardly out of reach and therefore I have provided a cross strap 22 which is stitched or otherwise secured to the spaced strap elements 15 and supports a resilient clamp or clip 23 secured thereto. This clamp is provided for clamping to the bed clothes as at 24 thus securing the free end of the ladder portion against accidental removal from within the reach of the recumbent person.

The rungs 16 are especially of important construction as the pressures applied thereon would normally tend to tear them from the strap elements 15. Observation of Figure 3 will disclose that I have provided at the free end of strap elements 15 folded portions 25 in which are formed metallic eyelets 26 defining central apertures 27 which are axially aligned and receive the end portions of tubular rods 28. Encircling the tubular rods are tubular hand grips 29 shown to be of rubber but which may be synthetic resin, cork or other materials if found desirable and the hand grips are of a length adapting them to maintain the strap elements 15 in spaced relation and yet permit the eyelets 26 to encirclethe end portions of the tubular rod 28. To maintain the eyelets against removal from the ends of the rods 28 I provide rivets 30 which under extreme pressures are pressed into the hollow center of the rods 28. The rivets 30 are provided with heads 31 .sufliciently large to prevent the eyelets 26 .from pass ing thereover. The greatest pulling pressure is applied on the end rung 16 and therefore the material is folded at 25 to provide added strength. If desired the intermediate rungs 16 may be provided with patches of strap material at the points where the eyelets 26 are inserted to give body tothe fastening means or the strap elements may be folded in serpentine fashion and thus provide three layers of strap to secure the eyelets 26.

In Figure 4 I have shown a modified form of the invention wherein the securing strap corresponding with the portion 15 comprises a strap 32 having a plurality of snap fasteners 33 at one end thus providing for longitudinal adjustments thereof and having snap fastener 34 spaced from its opposed end which is looped through a square 35 and also secures the fold 36 of the spaced strap elements 15a formed by folding an elongated strap midway its length and looping it through the square 35.

A further modified form is disclosed in Figure 5 and instead of the usual securing strap section 32 I provide a resilient means indicated in general by the numeral 37 and which comprises a hook 38 adapted to be releasably secured to an element of the bed foot 11 and at its opposed end having an eye 39 associated with the square 35. Intermediate its length the resilient means 37 is provided with a tension spring 40 permitting the lift strap to be flexed if desired. To limit the amount of flexing E3 of spring 40 I provide a rigid U-shaped bridge 41 having eyes 42 at opposed ends and encircling the ends of the resilient portion 37, thus limiting the stretch or flexing of the spring 40 to permit a person to raise himself if desired.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a securing strap adapted to be releasably secured about a fixed element at the foot of a bed; spaced strap elements anchored at one end by said securing strap; metal eyes defining apertures in said last named strap elements and disposed in axially aligned opposed pairs; tubular rods extending one through each said pair of aligned apertures; a tubular hand grip encircling each said rod and maintaining said spaced strap elements in spaced relation; rivets pressed into the hollow centers of said rods and having heads confining said eyes against removal from the rods; and means for releasably securing the free end of the ladder portion against accidental removal from within reach of the recumbent person.

2. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a pair of spaced strap elements; a plurality of laterally extending rungs extending between and spaced along the length of said strap elements and having their ends anchored thereto whereby to constitute a hand ladder; means for securing the strap elements at the foot of a bed; and means for releasably securing the free end of the ladder with relation to the bed and within reach of a recumbent person in the bed.

3. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a hand ladder having a pair of spaced strap elements carrying a plurality of laterally extending rungs spaced along the length of said strap elements; means for securing one end of the ladder at the foot of a bed; and a spring biased clamp carried at the free end of said ladder for releasably clamping to the bed clothes of said bed and securing the free end of the ladder against accidental removal from within the reach of a recumbent person.

4. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a hand ladder having a pair of laterally spaced strap elements provided with longitudinally spaced laterally extending rungs having their ends secured in said strap elements, one said strap element having a buckle secured on its end opposed to said rungs and extending through a securing buckle; the other said strap element extending through said securing buckle and about an element of the foot of a bed and thence being adjustably secured in said first named buckle, whereby means are provided for adjusting the length of said lift strap.

5. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a. pair of laterally spaced strap elements having means at one end secured at the foot of said bed; rungs having their ends secured in said strap elements and comprising metal eyelets defining apertures in said straps and disposed in axially aligned pairs; tubular rods extending one through each said pair of aligned apertures; a tubular hand grip encircling each said rod and spacing said straps; and rivets pressed into the hollow centers of said rods and having heads confining said eyes against removal off of the ends of said rods.

6. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with an elongated strap folded midway its length and forming a pair of spaced strap elements; laterally extending rungs having their ends secured in the strap elements and forming a hand ladder; and a securing means connecting one end of said hand ladder to an element fixed relative to said bed.

7. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with an elongated strap folded midway its length and forming a pair of spaced strap elements; rungs having their ends secured in said strap elements laterally thereof; resilient means secured at one end to the fold of said strap and at the other end to an element of the foot of a bed; and rigid means bridging said resilient means and limiting the stretching movement thereof.

8. In a self-help invalid implement of the class wherein an otherwise helpless invalid having the use of his arms only may raise himself from a reclining position to a sitting position in bed; the combination with a pair of spaced strap elements; a plurality of laterally extending rungs extending between and spaced along the length of said strap elements and having their ends anchored thereto; and means for securing one end of the strap elements at the foot of a bed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 281,154 Solomons July 10, 1893 686,182 Wright Nov. 5, 1901 816,697 Williams Apr. 3, 1906 908,845 Curtin Jan. 5, 1909 1,765,361 Berman June 24, 1930 2,057,811 Armstrong Oct. 20, 1936 2,585,660 Kjos Feb. 12, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,405 Great Britain 1909 5,726 Great Britain 1909 

